Wanderers
by shutdown.exe
Summary: A series of anachronistic vignettes that revolve around a few fan characters' feelings, experiences, and interactions.
1. First Touch (Sinagtala)

"Lord Raiden, the tea is ready."

The aroma of _gyokuro_ tea wafted from the direction of a silvery, drowsy voice. The deity opens his eyes, and sees his student standing timidly a few feet away, at the doors of his meditation room. "Come sit with me."

"I hope I didn't disturb you, my lord," she chirped, and poured the tea. The young girl offered the cup to her master, before pouring into another one for herself. "Not at all, child." The _Yaw-Yan_ practitioner sat comfortably beside her master, letting out a satisfied hum at the first taste of the sweet tea.

Raiden fondly remembers the first time he met this particular student of his. The thunder god came all the way to their hideout in the mountains of Baguio City to deliver somber news about the fate of their ancestors in the Netherrealm. An aging spinster greeted him with an infant girl in her arms. The child's eyes were brimming with tears, startled by the thunder that accompanied his arrival. Her mother tried to calm her down as Raiden spoke to her, but to no avail. The sound of a kettle whistling prompted the woman to excuse herself, and set the child in her crib.

The infant looked at him with bewildered eyes, threatening to cry again. Raiden offered a hand to the child in an attempt to calm her, and she reluctantly wrapped her tiny hand around his smallest finger. The child's fearful expression was replaced by one of curiosity and wonder. As he picked the child up, a giggle is starting to bubble from her throat. She squealed and babbled as she grabbed the deity's nose. A small chuckle escaped Raiden's lips when the baby grabbed his conical hat and tried to nibble at the brim.

" _Ah! Look at you, drooling all over his hat,_ " an older woman chided. " _It is not of trouble,"_ Raiden assured. " _May I hold her for a while longer?_ "

" _Of course! I'm surprised you actually managed to get her to laugh. She's always crying, the fussy child._ " The other woman emerged from the kitchen, hauling several mugs of coffee, a jar of strawberry jam, and a paper bag full of _pandesal_. " _Thank goodness. I hope she didn't give you trouble. Come sit for coffee, please._ "

" _What is her name?_ " Raiden queried, his expression bright for the first time in years. Earthrealm's losses, especially Liu Kang's accidental death by his hand, still haunts him to that day, but with the bubbly infant in his arms, his troubles temporarily melted away.

"Sinagtala," the older woman quipped, much to the younger one's disapproval. " _I told you_ tita _, I am not naming my child after_ inay _. Her name is Esther_."

" _But she looks so much like_ Ate Tala _. It would honor her._ "

While the two women were sorting out their small argument, Raiden noted that Esther had fallen asleep in his arms, her round, gentle face nuzzled against his bicep.

The sound of soft snoring brought back Raiden's mind to present time. His student had fallen asleep. Just how long was he reminiscing? He looked at the sleeping girl who leaned against his bicep, dark strands of hair straying from her loose braid. In this world, life wasn't kind to anyone, yet she persevered, and her face is still serene in her sound sleep. She is a survivor, and Raiden swore to keep it that way as she carried her to her quarters and tucked her in. He will protect her; he suffered from far too many losses.

"Good night, Sinagtala."

* * *

 **A/N:** *Italicized dialogue translated from Filipino. I figured that as a deity, Raiden would have known an array of languages.

*Sinagtala's name means "starlight" (sinag = ray/light, tala = star). It is a rare name in modern Philippine society.

Translations:

gyokuro - a type of shaded green tea from Japan. Its taste is described as rich, almost full-bodied, and smooth, with sweet ending and complex notes.

Yaw-Yan - a Filipino style of kickboxing; it means Sayaw ng Kamatayan, which translates to "Dance of Death".

pandesal - a common bread roll in the Philippines; a corrupted form of Spanish "pan de sal", which means "salted bread".

tita - a Filipino term for aunt. Can also be used to address a female friend of one's parents.

inay - a Filipino term for mother

ate (pronounced ah-TEH) - a Filipino term used to address older sisters. Can also be used to address to an older female friend/acquaintance.


	2. Black Sheep (Kuro)

**A/N:** I was discontent with the way I've written Kuro's first chapter, so I opted for a longer rewrite. Potentially triggering situations below, you have been warned.

* * *

" _Hey mom, what was dad like?_ "

" _He's dead, Kuro. Go to sleep,_ " his mother snapped back, her thick Okinawan accent lacing her speech.

The boy believed his mother for almost the entirety of his life, until recently, he received an anonymous phone call from a foreign man. Palms sweaty and knees shaking, he listened to the voice, and though he had a hard time understanding the language, he knew full well that the person on the other line is looking for him. Though he never met this man before, he continued speaking with him, overwhelmed by a strange feeling of recognition despite speaking to a stranger.

Taking a few months to acquaint himself with the stranger, he finally agrees to meet him on the shores. On a cold summer night he met him near the docks, a tall man with a strange eye and a beard. Upon seeing the man, there was a look of familiarity on the boy's face, and the realization dawned upon him.

" _Papa?_ "

"Hey son."

The boy went stumbling in the older man's arms, and his back met a rough, but warm pat. "Papa. I finally meet you," he stuttered, having difficulties grasping his father's language, but he did his best to send his message across. "It's nice to meet you too, son," his father replied, placing a large hand on the prepubescent boy's shoulder. "I never found out what your name was. What's your name, boy?"

"Yamada Kuro."

"Kuro huh? The name suits you. Your ma thought of that name?"

Kuro merely nodded, to which his father smirked at. "Did your ma ever talk about me?"

Gingerly, Kuro shook his head. "Mama said papa dead," he mumbled, scared and unsure of what his father's reaction will be. "Typical. Bet you don't even know my name," Kuro's father sighed, shaking his head. "My name is Kano. Just call me pops or papa, alright son?"

Smiling, Kuro nodded, but his subtle joy was replaced with embarrassment when his stomach growled loudly. Holding his stomach in an attempt to conceal his pitiful hunger, he looked away from his father. Kano was visibly groused. He was far from saintly, but starving your own child was out of the question for him. "The fuck? Does your ma even feed you?"

Kano picks up the boy, his straining muscles contrasting the lithe, malnourished form. "C'mon, let's eat somewhere. It's my treat."

The Okinawan child never felt fuller in his life as he continued to slurp his noodles, wooden chopsticks sloppily gathering his food from the takeout box. "Thank you papa," he blurted in between bites, his cheeks swelling with food. Kano merely rustled his hair. His father's large, burly hand disappeared inside his pocket, and emerged with a sizeable wad of cash. "Here's some spending money, boy, in case your deadbeat ma doesn't feed you again," Kano tells his son as he places the wad on the little boy's palm. "Really, papa? You're very good. Good father. Thank you."

The burly man didn't know how to react to his child, and just opted on giving him a firm pat. "Eh, it's nothing son. I just want to make up for lost times."

"Will you come home with me?" Kuro asks his father, to which his father laughed at. Confused, he stopped chewing and looked at his father with watery, pitiful eyes. "Sorry, Kuro. Papa can't stay with you. Your ma doesn't like having me around," his father replies, much to his chagrin. "But I meet you again, yes?"

"Yeah son, we'll see each other again. I'll call," Kano concisely answers. Kuro's frown didn't deepen any further and he let out a contented sigh. "When, papa?"

Kano gives him a mock thoughtful look. "Every week. Sunday. You 'kay with that my boy?"

"Yes papa, I answer call on Sunday," the child gleefully responds. "Good. Oh and, don't tell your ma I met you, okay?"

Kuro gives him a confused look. "But why?"

"Your mama will be very angry with you," his father merely responds, picking out bits of food from his teeth. "You don't want your ma to be angry with you, right?"

Truth be told, Kuro never wants to see his mother angry. Yet every time she sees him, her mood sours, her expression cold. The child would then grow up trying to seek her approval, until one day, he simply gave up. Not a word was spoken between the two in a span of weeks.

Two weeks after Kuro turned sixteen, he found himself strolling on the shores, checking his phone every so often to see if his father will call him. Three weeks had passed since his last call, much to Kuro's despair. He was afraid something bad might have happened to him, but he knew full well his father can defend himself. Kano even taught him how to fight back.

No longer was he pushed around and ridiculed because of his lanky stature and broken family. Kuro became the neighborhood's most notorious delinquent, much to the delight of his father, who helped him toughen up. Kano's methods were questionable, as it earned Kuro a few bruises from well-placed punches, but in the end, the teenager was grateful for it. Strength became his strongest suit because of his father's encouragement.

Naturally, when the volatile teenager heard bystanders talking about him, he'd just shrug it off, not giving a care for anyone's opinion. However, a particularly nasty gossiper replaced his apathy with rage when his father was brought up.

" _Oh, it's him again. Yuko-san's boy_ ," one of the local men muttered to his companion, completely unaware that Kuro can hear them. " _Ugh, that bastard child. He's good for nothing._ "

" _I bet he's going to end up like his father._ "

" _Does he even have a father?_ "

Gritting his teeth, he marched over and his fist met the man's jaw. The impact was so strong, two of the man's molars went flying outside his mouth. The gossiper's companion ran over to aid him, screaming for help.

" _I have a father!"_ Kuro exclaims this loudly, his voice hoarse, and sweat making his dark hair stick to his forehead. " _He's the one who taught me how to do that!_ " Kuro continued to yell, jabbing his thumb to his chest." _He's the one who taught me how to fight back! He's the reason why I'm no longer a piece of shit that gets kicked around!_ "

Fire raging in his veins, he barged away, unaware that his phone had been vibrating like crazy for the past few minutes. Once his head finally cools down and the adrenaline coursing in his blood dies down, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he frantically picks up.

"Papa! Papa?"

"Kuro, what the fuck? What took you so long to pick the fuck up?!"

A sigh of relief escaped the teenager's mouth, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. "Sorry papa. Got in a fight. Some assholes were talking shit about you," he calmly explains, leaning against a wall as he spoke. "Huh. What'd they say? And what did you do about it?"

"They said I'll probably end up just like you," Kuro started, to which Kano laughs at heartily. "Well, they're not wrong, I wanna be like ya, pa," he continues.

"Aw son, yer touchin' my heart," Kano responds gleefully, his voice cracking with laughter. "Aww, pa. Anyways," the teenager continues. "One of the bastards wondered if I even had a father. I punched him so hard, his teeth went flying out!"

Boisterous laughter rang from the other side of the line. Kuro felt vaguely proud of himself for making his father laugh so loudly. "That's my boy! I'm proud of you, son."

Kuro almost dropped his phone as his father's last remark. His eyes were stinging with tears of joy, his insides inexplicably twisting. "Thank ya pa! Thank ya, thank ya. Wow," the Japanese teenager blurted out. "I never heard ma say that to me."

There was nothing but silence on the other side of the phone that made Kuro worrisome. "Hey, papa, are you there?"

A rustle can be heard from the other side. "Hey son, do you want to come with me? Do you think yer ready?"

Mouth going agape, Kuro's words were choking in his throat. "Yes pa! I'll come with ya! When will we meet? C'mon pa," he excitedly rambles, walking speedily to the direction of his house. "Tonight. Pack up kid, we're leaving."

"Mother _fuck_! Tonight?! Are you serious, pa? I'll pack up as soon as I get home," he exclaimed, his steps becoming more frantic and speedy. "Alright! See you in the usual place Kuro," his father responded, then the call disconnected.

As soon as his house was in sight, Kuro began to sprint, almost tearing the door down as he entered. He ran upstairs and pulled out his backpack, stuffing in what little clothes he had. He looks in the mirror, noting that he was still in his uniform, greasy and damp. Wanting to look presentable when he meets his father, the teenager quickly sheds his clothes and hastily cleans up.

Kuro was packing his personal papers when he heard his mother's voice, her tone hostile as she approached. " _Kuro! You son of a bitch, you got into trouble again!_ " Fear took a grasp of him.

Heavy hands met his face as his mother beat him up, and pitiful cries escaped his lips as he writhed on the floor. Though Kano taught him everything he needed to know to defend himself, he couldn't bring himself to hurt his mother. Yuko stopped momentarily, and her eyes spotted Kuro's backpack filled with his belongings. " _What is the meaning of this?!_ "

" _I'm leaving ma!_ " The young man's voice was cracked and desperate. " _I can't stand living with you anymore! Every time I try to get you to warm up, you push me away! You don't love me!_ "

Yuko's expression softens at his words. " _Son…_ " she trails off, eyes bloodshot. " _Kuro, my son, isn't working overtime just to get food on the table and clothes on your back not enough love for you? Is allowing you to live despite the fact that your father raped me not enough? I wasted my life for you when I should've just killed you! You ungrateful child!_ "

Tears started to prick Kuro's eyes. Hurt beyond measure, he picks up their picture on his bedside and throws it next to him, salty tears freely streaming down his cheek. " _H-he what? I don't believe you! You lied to me before, why should I? And even if it's true, then you shouldn't have given birth to me in the first place! I'm going with father. At least he cares._ "

Angry hands gripped at his forearms, nails scraping his skin. " _No! You're not going._ "

Hurt, Kuro finally manages to find the strength to shake his mother's hands off of him. " _He's treats me better than you ever did in my sixteen years of existence. I love you ma, but I can't live like this anymore. Goodbye._ "

" _Kuro, no! Don't go with him! I don't want you to end up like him! Please, Kano's a monster!_ "

Kuro shut out whatever his mother yelled after his final words, barging out of the front door without a care. He thought his nightmare was over when he left his mother's grasp, but as his father digs a knife in his chest, he thought otherwise.

"C'mon son, you're stronger than that!" Kano's voice reverberated throughout the empty warehouse. He took Kuro in a chokehold, the light from his cybernetic eye reflecting on Kuro's coal eyes. "Fight back!"

"Why papa? Why are you- _hngk_ -doing this to me?"

Kano slams his son down, a sickening thud echoing against the walls as Kuro's back hits the floor. "Can't ya see son? If you want to survive in the world I move in, ya gotta be as tough as your papa! Now, get the fuck up."

And so, Kuro did.

* * *

 **A/N:** ***** Italicized dialogue originally translated from Japanese.

Kuro's name means ninth son, hardships, suffering, or the color black. He is a reference to Kano's MKX ending, where it was revealed that he has a son, though it is disputed whether or not this is canon. Kuro is my attempt to flesh out his son's character more, as it would be interesting to predict what kind of character Kano's son would be, if NRS adds him to the next installment of the gam **e.**


	3. Guts (Valdez)

"So, what's your rank?"

"Police Officer III. If I recall correctly, it's equivalent to corporal."

"Nice. Gonna start leading them to battle, huh? Kick more criminal ass? Anyways, the General is a very busy woman. This better be worth her time," the blonde specialist from the Special Forces commented. "Specialist Cage, I assure you that this information is valuable to her," she responded concisely, and kept a neutral expression on her face.

"It better be, or else it's my ass she's going to kick."

Specialist Cassandra Cage requested permission to enter her office, then saluted the general, and PO3 Valdez couldn't help but notice their striking similarity. The general questions Cage about this interruption, then dismisses her. The police officer is left to face the general alone.

Saluting one of the highest-ranking officers of the US Special Forces out of respect, she introduces herself. "PO3 Erika Valdez from PNP-SAF, reporting for duty, General Blade." Sonya Blade salutes back, her visage marked with a stern look as ever. "I'm assuming this is important enough for your superiors to send you here. Moreover, important enough for Specialist Cage to bring you in."

"Yes ma'am," she calmly replied, trying to mask the tension underneath her. "My superiors sent me here to personally relay Black Dragon intel we managed to gather," Valdez started, pushing her shades higher up the bridge of her nose. "Intel from Black Dragon's splinter in Southeast Asia had been scarce. Anything we can dig up from there would be valuable," the General remarks, her expression sour. Valdez merely swallows and lays out a brown envelope on the desk, and the no-nonsense general started to sift through the files.

"This is Kuro Yamada. Japanese. 25. Six foot-one." Valdez informs her. "He is the son of Black Dragon leader Kano."

The corporal tried to discern the subtle changes on General Blade's expression; the small twitch from her eyebrows was more than enough to tell that this piqued her interest. "This has to be investigated. This is new information. And how this eluded us is beyond me," Blade replies, slightly disturbed. "Didn't know that bastard had a son."

"The PNP-CIDG and the NBI had been cooperating with the Interpol for this particular criminal, General. His records had been mostly wiped from government databases. Thankfully, his mother cooperated with us."

Sonya internally shuddered at the thought of Kano touching a woman. Kuro's existence leads to a few unfortunate implications; Valdez herself looks uncomfortable when she relayed this information. "Yamada's in charge of the Black Dragon splinter in Southeast Asia. He's now an international criminal for being wanted in 6 countries for multiple felonies, including ten charges of murder. Yamada also led the Black Dragon smuggling operation in Manila six months ago," the cop continues, her eyebrows twitching subtly.

"Investigators suspect he is involved with the bombing at the FBI Headquarters and the sudden influx of illegal weapon exports from Sabah as well," the police sergeant continued, disregarding uncomfortable thoughts. "We suspect-"

"That they're planning to sell them in Outworld," Sonya interrupted, finishing Valdez' sentence. "Yes ma'am," Valdez affirmed. "Other leads are alias Kira. Afghan. Five foot-nine. Her most noticeable trait is her striking red hair." Valdez places two more envelopes on the table. "Another is alias Sida. Thai. Five-foot six. She's the latest recruit, a neophyte."

General Blade gathered the folders together and cleared her throat. "This information will be valuable for Special Forces operations. I'll brief the men. I will also send word to your superiors. Further cooperation is required." Blade looked at her with scrutiny, then proceeds to drop her professional facade for a split-second. "It seems strange for them to send a PO3 over for this task. Is there a far deeper reason for you to barge all the way here to HQ?"

Valdez was close to losing her composure. She held her breath, and mentally prepares herself. "General Blade, I intentionally requested my superiors to be sent here in person. I was one of the first responders in the Manila operation. We lost two on that day," Valdez shamefully admitted. "One of them was my partner. The other, a junior I took under my wing. If you'd allow me-" Valdez choked on her words.

"You want to go after Kuro, don't you?" Valdez merely nodded, her body tense and her knuckles turning white. "I want to correct my mistakes, ma'am. Bring Kuro Yamada to justice. Have him answer for their deaths," Valdez choked out, struggling to keep a professional facade. "I'll admit Valdez, you have guts. Especially for you to successfully convince your superiors to send you alone. You remind me of myself when I was a lieutenant. Here's what I think," General Blade gave her a knowing look. "We'll contact your superiors in PNP-SAF to see if they're interested in a training exercise with the US Special Forces. While that is being sorted out, earn a promotion. Let's say they agree." General Blade paused as she opened her desk drawer and slid her blank forms. "If you pass the training, I'll recommend them to put you in charge with the manhunt for Yamada."

PO3 Valdez froze in her spot, and her stunned silence filled the room. She managed to speak after a few seconds, remaining composed despite the giddiness that filled her at the moment. "Yes ma'am! It's an honor ma'am!"

Sonya had a smirk tugging at the edge of her lips. "You have a promising career ahead of you, Valdez. You better not disappoint. You are dismissed."

Valdez saluted, Blade saluted back, and the police officer went on her way with ice in her veins and a determined smile on her lips.

* * *

 **A/N:** Wow, so this is the longest chapter I've written so far.

Read more about the Philippines' police rank system: gov ph/featured/about-the-pnp (replace space with period)


	4. Neophyte (Sida)

Black lips met a stick of cigarette, and deft hands reached for a lighter, painted nails scratching the striker wheel. The mercenary took a long drag of her cigarette as she leaned on the abandoned warehouse's door, keeping an eye on the device on her left wrist. She paid close attention to the police scanner frequency she managed to tap into, red-tinted goggles reflecting the LED light. Nervously, she peeked inside the building, hoping her boss would be done with the deal soon.

For the past two years, the Black Dragon had been home to her. She faintly recalls one of them breaking into her apartment. It was two in the morning when she decided to fire up her laptop, her curiosity gnawing at her throughout the night and robbing her of precious sleep. Frantically, she launched the browser programmed for the task. In a few seconds, she was connected to the dark web.

It was a place that fascinated her; hacking, guns, drugs, illegal money. She even had purchased firearms and weed on more than one occasion, selling them discreetly at inflated prices in Bangkok's darker corners. Never did she get caught, something she was proud of considering Thailand's strict policies. However, that night was different. Heavy footsteps came from the outside of her apartment, prompting the woman to break contact with her laptop. A loud bang can be heard from the other side of the door. Her head was flooded with paranoia. Adrenaline pumping in her veins, she quickly turned off the laptop, and the lamp by her bedside table.

Hiding under the bed, the Thai smuggler's heart boomed inside her rib cage as the footsteps grew louder. Her eyes widened as the door swung open with ease, expecting the polished shoes of police officers to emerge; instead, leather boots and cigarette smoke entered the room. The illegal trader screwed her eyes shut and cursed internally, remembering the stories she heard in the dark web about buyers getting tracked down and kidnapped, the women being sold as sex slaves. _No, no, no, I didn't come this far to be fucked over,_ she thought to herself.

When she opened her eyes, she was met by the face of a Japanese man, a sinister grin on his face. He held a knife on one hand and pulled her out of her bed with another. "Hey there babe," he greeted her as he squeezed her neck. "Finally found ya."

Instinctively, she bit his arm, to which he yelped in pain. She rolled towards the kitchen and grabbed a kitchen knife. Scrambling as she lunged towards him, she nicked his side, but his now free hand caught her arm and twisted it, causing her to writhe in pain and drop the knife. The Japanese intruder firmly held her, his breath on the back of her neck sending ripples down her spine. "Damn babe, didn't know you can fight. Too bad for ya, I fight better." He brought the knife close to her right cheek, and lightly pressed the sharp edge against her skin. "I didn't come this far to be arrested, kidnapped or whatever," she blurted out, teeth gritting in anger. "Hurt ya? No babe, I don't intend to. Well, not now," the intruder responded, smugness dripping from his voice. "I actually heard a lot about you from other customers. They call you Sida, right?"

She froze. That was the alias she uses when she engages in illegal transactions. Sida opens her mouth to question him. "What do you want?" A dark chuckle bubbled from the man's chest. "You're a pretty clever bitch, buying firearms from the Black Dragon and selling them at twice the price," he whispers to her, his hot breath puffing on her ear. "Who do you work for?" Sida gulps at the mention of the Black Dragon; she heard of the organization through hushed whispers, but never did she imagine one of them looking for her. Suffice to say, she was surprised at finding out she was actually importing from them. "I work alone," she calmly replies, to which he laughs at. "I don't believe you," he replied, slicing the skin on her cheek and drawing blood. "Shame I gotta put you down babe. We can't have someone compromising our operations. But too bad for ya, I'm not done playing with you yet."

Sida's mind raced further with paranoia, her body tensing up as his knife slipped under the sleeve of her tank top and slice the fabric away. "Wait! Don't kill me! Please, please you gotta believe me! I really do work alone," she babbled, her face stricken with fear. "I didn't even know I was buying from Black Dragon. Fuck, you want proof? All the money I earned is still here, there's no employer that will take a cut out of my profits. I just want to be filthy rich, okay?!" The man stopped, and spun her by her shoulders for her to face him. "I'd come with you if you want," she continued. "I can be useful to you guys. I know every inch of Bangkok, I know how to hack, I can-"

"I thought you worked alone," the intruder interrupted, squeezing her shoulders. Sida winced and tries to come up with words. "Well, with you finding out who I am, I'm involved now, and like you said, I'm a smart bitch. I can be useful to you. Just fucking spare me and I'll work for you for as long as you want. I have mad respect for the Black Dragon anyway. C'mon."

The man had a thoughtful look on his face. "Ehh, I guess you're right." He let go of her and dug in his pockets for a pack of cigarettes. "We had a bad start. Let's start over. I'm Kuro. Welcome to the Black Dragon," he introduced himself as he offered her a cigarette, grinning. "Sida, as you heard," she murmured as she reluctantly accepted his offer. Kuro lights up his cigarette, then hers, then takes a puff, nicotine entering his system. "Congratulations, you just fucked virgin lungs," Sida remarks, taking a long drag of the cigarette and wiping the blood on her cheek.

Kuro smirked. "Wish I can fuck more than that though babe," he remarked, much to Sida's disgust and slight interest. "So that's it? You came here to kill me and now you're letting me come with you? You're easy to convince," the smuggler deadpanned. "Nah baby. Just didn't feel like killing someone tonight. And, I wanted to see you beg."

A loud, unamused scoff came from the neophyte. "Don't be flattered babe. I still gotta talk to the boss about this. You're lucky you're smart and really hot or I would've went with the original plan Kira had." Sida sat down on her bed, craning her neck as she continued to smoke. "So, I'm in the Black Dragon. Holy shit, wow. What now?"

It was a question she asked herself, but Kuro responded. "You gotta survive the boss' training regimen like the rest of us did. You're a tough bitch, I'm sure you can do that," he commented, sitting beside the Thai lady. "He wanted a new generation of Black Dragon members anyway. Maybe he'll take a liking to you."

The Thai smuggler raised her eyebrow. "And this Kira? What are you gonna do about his orders?" Kuro laughed. "Her. Don't worry about her stupid old ass. I'm the boss' fucking son, let's see if she can do something about that."

Sida coughed and her eyes were wide open with disbelief. "Wait a damn minute, your dad is Kano?! _The_ motherfucking Kano? Bitch, I'm a huge fan!"


	5. Promise (Sinagtala)

Thunder rolled in the distance as a young Earthrealm warrior stood at the edge of one of the Himalayan summits, her inked, exposed skin paying no mind to the intense cold. She merely held the cloth that protected her head like a hood close to her body with one hand, her hair and bead necklaces covering her chest, and the ends of the fabric billowing behind her. Her other hand clutched the _sampaguita_ pendant that rested on her bosom; the only inheritance her mother ever left her.

"Soon we'll be all together in hell," she somberly muttered to herself, taking a small step forward, feet bare as well. Thunder struck the ground a few feet behind her, and the _babaylan_ descendant knew what this entailed.

"Esther Valdez, heed me." Her master's tone is stern, yet there was a quaver of desperation in it. "Esther is dead. Nightwolf killed her," she snapped. "Do not call me by that name."

Raiden took a hesitant step towards his student. "I anchored your soul to Earthrealm and pulled you from the Netherrealm. I had hoped you would appreciate my efforts," he explains. There was no response from his student. "What name would you prefer then?" The Thunder God tried to distract her, but his question sparked irritation within the self-loathing woman. "I prefer nothing." The god took another step, making Esther move further away. "Your great aunt wanted to name you after your grandmother," Raiden informed her, doing his best to divert her from her objective by speaking of those she held dear.

"What was her name?"

"Sinagtala. I had preferred the name as well."

"Starlight. I like it. I never liked 'Esther' anyway. But not that it mattered anymore," she replied, voice nothing but an audible whisper in the howling wind. "Your judgement is clouded. Come with me, back to the Sky Temple. Let us meditate, pray to the Elder Gods if we must."

Sinagtala spun around abruptly, face contorted with anger and hopelessness. "You think a forsaken prayer will change anything?! I'm doomed Raiden. My fate is predestined. I'm bound to be Quan Chi's servant because of my ancestor's selfish pact, no matter how many times you pull me back from hell!"

The deity held back his indignation; he understood why his student felt this way, though she is misinformed. "The visions Quan Chi showed you were false," he began, his voice akin to a crack of thunder. "She sealed the pact with the sorcerer so she can save her village from foreign conquistadors. Corrupting her bloodline and harvesting her descendants' souls was never part of it," the deity boomed, extending his hand to Sinagtala's direction. "I arrived too late to aid her. As a result, she was deceived and exploited for her desperation to save lives. She's anything but selfish, Sinagtala."

The _babaylan_ descendant held back her tears, silently guilty for slandering her ancestor's name under the influence of the Netherrealm demon's pretense. "Even if you're telling the truth, my soul is still doomed. I'm going to be a Netherrealm demon regardless. Why not just get it over with?!"

"Your self-loathing and defeatist behavior will do you no good, Tala. Think of your great-aunt. Think of Erika Valdez, your cousin. What would they do-"

"Enough! There's no point bringing them up, Raiden." Her yell reverberated throughout the range, eyes brimming with hot tears that stung. She faced the howling wind, trying to hide the pathetic expression on her visage from the thunder god. "It's been an honor to be your student, Lord Raiden."

"Sinagtala, no!"

Headfirst, she plunged herself to her demise with her eyes closed in resignation. Raven hair flew freely in the wind as a deafening crack of thunder illuminated the surroundings with blinding light. Sinagtala dared to open her eyes and saw her mentor before her, his arms extending to catch her. Tears escaped her eyes and all the hairs on her body stood stiff from the static as Raiden enclosed his arms around her small frame. In a split second, she felt her body disintegrate, the feeling of nothingness sending a small wave of relief and release. As soon as her mind was at ease at the lack of sensation, reality came crashing down on her, cheeks wet with rain and tears. Petite hands clawed for the robes at her master's back and sobs began to escape her throat.

She looked up and saw a pained expression on her master's face, his calm façade broken. Taking note of her surroundings, she realized they were no longer on the summit, but in a room in the Sky Temple. "Stay here," he sternly warns her, and he broke from his embrace, if one could call it that. He opens one of the cabinets and hands her clean clothing, consisting of a simple robe. The god of Thunder drew open the screen door and left her in the cold room. Sinagtala took off her soaked garments and accessories, save for her _sampaguita_ necklace, and slipped into the robes. She sank down and sat on the _tatami_ flooring in resignation, and crawled towards the futon on the corner of the room, bringing her legs against her chest and embracing herself. Several minutes later, Raiden returned with several comforters and gently covered her shaking body, unsure if she is shivering or still sobbing. Emotionally drained, he sits beside her curled-up form and exhaled, his eyes fluttering shut.

From where she was lying, she faced her master, eyes red. "I'm sorry, Lord Raiden."

"Liu Kang. Kung Lao. Nightwolf. Stryker. Kabal. Sindel. Kitana. Smoke. Remember their names. They are the ones lost in Earthrealm's pyrrhic victory," the Thunder God finally spoke after moments of quiet. "Shao Kahn sold their souls to Quan Chi for his allegiance. I failed to redeem them, and bringing them back will be difficult. I have lost so many friends and allies to Quan Chi," Raiden continued. "I cannot afford to lose another one. I want to offer you salvation."

Guilt and pity struck Sinagtala's heart, prompting her to sit up and crawl over to Raiden. Tears are starting to prick her eyes again, her suicidal urges halted by the realization that the Thunder God held her dear. "Then I will help you bring them back. I don't know how, but I want to help." Raiden opened his eyes, two white dots in the dark, and they met her obsidian ones. "I've been selfish, master. You promised to help me free my family and ancestors, but I didn't realize Quan Chi held multitudes of souls. And you had a realm to protect too. My mind was so narrow I failed to realize you carried unimaginable burdens. I'm so sorry, Lord Raiden."

There was no response from the deity. Only a warm hand on her shoulder.

"I won't leave you," she continued after contemplating whether she still should continue speaking. "Even in death."

Words failed her when his arms coiled around her.

* * *

 **A/N:** More backstory for Sinagtala. A break from the earthly matters concerning Kuro, Sida, and her cousin.

Goodness, I figured after that trauma conga line he experienced from MK9's ending, Raiden's bound to fall apart sooner or later, especially if one of the people he cares for becomes despondent. I hope the embrace in the end wasn't OOC for him though; I rarely see him touch anyone except if they're electrocuting them or beating them to a bloody pulp. Then again, neither does the other characters; this _is_ Mortal Kombat after all.

Translations:  
sampaguita - Filipino term for the _Jasminum sambac_ /Arabian jasmine flower. It's a species of jasmine native to a small region in the eastern Himalayas in Bhutan and neighbouring India and Pakistan, and is the national flower of the Philippines.  
babaylan - a Visayan term identifying an indigenous Filipino religious leader, who functions as a healer, a shaman, a seer and a community "miracle-worker" (or a combination of any of those). They can be male, female, or male transgenders (known as _asog_ , _bayoc,_ or _bayog_ ), but most of the babaylan were female.  
tatami - a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms, traditionally made using rice straw to form the core


End file.
